After months of silence following the India’s Got Latent controversy, YouTuber and podcaster Ranveer Allahbadia, popularly known as BeerBiceps, has finally addressed the wave of criticism he faced, particularly claims by several Bollywood celebrities that they had declined invitations to appear on his podcast, The Ranveer Show.
Speaking on Prafful Garg’s YouTube show, Allahbadia strongly refuted the rumours, stating that many of the celebrities in question were never invited in the first place. “It was a feeding frenzy. Some celebrities claimed that they’d even rejected an invite to the show. The truth is that we never invited them in the first place,” he said.
Allahbadia expressed that these false claims initially made him angry but admitted that the backlash was, in part, the result of his own actions. “In such situations, I felt angry at human beings in general. But I realised that the predicament that I was in was a result of my own actions,” he explained.
“I couldn’t change the past, but I could change the future. I got a forced break after a crazy, intense six-year podcasting journey. I’m just trying to move on; I’ve tried to forgive a lot of people, even myself, and to a degree, I’ve been successful,” he added.
About the controversy
The controversy stemmed from an episode of India’s Got Latent featuring comedian Samay Raina, in which Allahbadia posed a highly controversial question to a contestant.
The remark, which was met with laughter from fellow panellists including Apoorva Mukhija and Ashish Chanchlani, sparked public outrage and resulted in FIRs being registered against Allahbadia and Raina. The backlash intensified after the National Commission for Women (NCW) intervened, leading to a written apology from Allahbadia. The Supreme Court later granted him interim bail, but not without reprimand, labelling his comments “vulgar” and accusing him of possessing a “dirty mind” that shamed society.
During the interview, Allahbadia also revealed the emotional and financial toll the controversy had on his life. He described the experience as the most challenging chapter of his career, saying that although he had no income for two months, he made sure his team continued receiving their salaries. At one point, he stayed with a childhood friend, relying on the support of his family, mentors, and select members of the film industry.
He also opened up about the impact on his family, particularly his mother, who was reportedly targeted by a news outlet. “I was in survival mode back then. Now the emotional weight of it all is finally hitting me,” he said, adding that the darkest part was questioning whether his actions truly warranted such a personal and professional collapse.
Despite the turmoil, Allahbadia has now returned to The Ranveer Show, with Bollywood celebrities such as Boman Irani, Shruti Haasan and Tara Sutaria appearing in recent episodes. He says he’s trying to focus on growth, redemption, and healing-both for himself and those affected by the controversy.